5 Things to Know Before the Opening Bell 7/18/2025

Once the Housing and Urban Development Secretary under President Obama, Shaun Donovan now runs a nonprofit devoted to increasing housing supply and advancing equity. In a conversation about America’s housing affordability crisis, Sec. Donovan explains how the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit in President Trump’s spending bill incentivizes private investment. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) touts his wins in the spending bill and shares his perspective on monetary policy. Speaker Johnson also weighs in on the Epstein files, saying he and the President believe in transparency. Plus, Netflix reported a strong second quarter, top Federal Reserve official Christopher Waller is calling for a rate cut this month, and The Late Show will end, come next May.  Shaun Donovan - 13:46Speaker Mike Johnson - 20:27 In this episode: Mike Johnson, @SpeakerJohnsonMelissa Lee, @MelissaLeeCNBCJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkZach Vallese, @zachvallese

The 5 things you need to know before the stock market opens today: Chevron has prevailed in its mediation with Exxon over oil assets in Guyana, Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell has officially responded to White House concerns about Fed building renovations, Amazon is laying off some cloud computing staffers, and the Commerce Department will impose anti-dumping duties on graphite imported from China and used in EVs.  Squawk Box is hosted by Joe Kernen, Becky Quick and Andrew Ross Sorkin.  Follow Squawk Pod for the best moments, interviews and analysis from our TV show in an audio-first format. 

President Trump has said he won’t attempt to fire sitting Fed Chair Jerome Powell, but change is coming to the central bank regardless. On Wall Street and in Washington, names floated for the next Federal Reserve chair have included current NEC director Kevin Hassett and former Fed governor Kevin Warsh. In an extended interview, Kevin Warsh calls for a regime change at the bank, positing a revised theory of inflation and sharing lessons from his own history in finance. Plus, President Trump announced that Coca-Cola agreed to use cane sugar in its U.S. drinks, and the House of Representatives has voted to bring forward crypto legislation. Kevin Warsh - 18:39 In this episode: Joe Kernen, @JoeSquawkBecky Quick, @BeckyQuickAndrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkinKatie Kramer, @Kramer_Katie

Gary Cohn was National Economic Council Director in the first Trump administration, and now he’s weighing in on U.S. inflation data and the nation’s future monetary policy. If it were up to him, Cohn says he’d try cutting rates–just a little. Ben Gilbert & David Rosenthal are hosts of Acquired, a podcast boasting interviews with guests like Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, Mark Zuckerberg, and Howard Schultz, as well as a million listeners per episode. Ten years into the project, Gilbert and Rosenthal discuss how they built such a loyal following–and how they monetized in the evolving media landscape. Plus, NYC Democratic Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani spoke directly to corporate America executives this week, and private assets may soon be part of 401(k)s.  Gary Cohn - 16:03Ben Gilbert & David Rosenthal - 35:31 In this episode:Joe Kernen, @JoeSquawkBecky Quick, @BeckyQuickAndrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkinKatie Kramer, @Kramer_Katie

The 5 things you need to know before the stock market opens today: Federal investigations into prediction betting site Polymarket have been closed, a procedural vote on the $9 rescissions package passed in the Senate, SpaceX is planning an insider share sale, Tesla’s top North American sales executive has left the company, and a robot calls balls and strikes at baseball’s midsummer classic. Squawk Box is hosted by Joe Kernen, Becky Quick and Andrew Ross Sorkin.  Follow Squawk Pod for the best moments, interviews and analysis from our TV show in an audio-first format. 

Billionaire philanthropist, Home Depot co-founder, and donor to Andrew Cuomo’s NYC mayoral bid Ken Langone sits for an extended conversation about local politics and the national economy. Langone explains his faith in Cuomo and his perspective on Democratic socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani. GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen made his name on social media at the height of the meme-stock craze; now, he’s auctioning off an infamous stapler (and his underwear) on eBay. In a very rare interview, Cohen discusses GameStop’s past and its future. Plus, Starbucks has called corporate employees back to the office four days a week, and Nvidia plans to resume sales of a key AI chip to China.  Ryan Cohen - 14:40Ken Langone - 29:02 In this episode:Ryan Cohen, @ryancohenJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkBecky Quick, @BeckyQuickAndrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkinKatie Kramer, @Kramer_Katie

President Trump is threatening more tariffs on Mexico and the EU, in addition to last week’s threats to Canada. CNBC’s Megan Cassella reports on the likelihood of those tariffs taking effect and the impact the threats have on economic alliances, and National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett discusses the tariffs’ impact on the U.S. economy. One of the potential contenders for next Federal Reserve Chair, Hassett discusses the White House’s frustration with sitting Fed Chair Jay Powell, as well as the independence of the central bank. Plus, bank earnings are on deck this week, and Kraft Heinz may be planning to spin condiments off from foods.  Megan Cassella - 03:43Kevin Hassett - 20:06Leslie Picker - 37:37 In this episode:Leslie Picker, @LesliePickerMegan Cassella, @mmcassellaJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkBecky Quick, @BeckyQuickAndrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkinKatie Kramer, @Kramer_Katie

The 5 things you need to know before the stock market opens today: “Superman” tops the weekend box office, online spending surged thanks to Amazon Prime Days, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is traveling in China, exports from China grew last month, and JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon is warning about the dangers of private credit – while he wants to up the firm’s investment in private credit markets. Squawk Box is hosted by Joe Kernen, Becky Quick and Andrew Ross Sorkin.  Follow Squawk Pod for the best moments, interviews and analysis from our TV show in an audio-first format. 

100 days on the job, FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary discusses HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s complicated stance on vaccines and the future of public trust in American health care agencies. The White House is mounting pressure on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell; Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought explains that he’s pushing the central bank on its monetary policy and, more recently, on its building renovations. Plus, President Trump is threatening a 35% tariff on Canada, and Jamie Dimon is speaking out on global markets and on NYC Democratic Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. Megan Cassella - 5:06Dr. Marty Makary - 18:24Russell Vought - 38:04 In this episode:Megan Cassella, @mmcassellaJoe Kernen, @JoeSquawkMelissa Lee, @MelissaLeeCNBCKatie Kramer, @Kramer_Katie

The 5 things you need to know before the stock market opens today: President Trump announces new tariffs on Canada, Secretary of State Marco Rubio travels in Asia, Google will provide cloud-computing services for the U.S. government, Apple is prepping a new range of product releases, and Flutter comes closer to buying FanDuel. Squawk Box is hosted by Joe Kernen, Becky Quick and Andrew Ross Sorkin.  Follow Squawk Pod for the best moments, interviews and analysis from our TV show in an audio-first format.